flashed open, and her chest lifted with a sigh. Her hand floated up to cradle his cheek, her palm smooth against the rough smattering of whiskers. “It’s OK, Conner. You need to let it go. I have.”
“Have you? Really?”
Her lips tightened and her hand dropped away from his face, and God help him, he already missed her gentle, soothing touch. Using his shoulder, she pulled herself upright, away from his arms.
“It’s in the past. We can’t turn back time, as much as we might like to, sometimes. Besides,” she speared him with a determined look, and then glided away, “I have Annabelle now. And I wouldn’t change that for anything.”
He followed her, catching up to match her quiet, uncomplicated rhythm. “What happens if your sister comes back?”
She shrugged and her fingers swiped at her cheek. “I can’t lie. It would hurt, but Annabelle is Hailey’s daughter. God’s only entrusted her into my care for a season. But just like our dreams, our ambitions for the gold, the Annabelle season will eventually pass, too. I’m quite sure of it.”
If he hadn’t been sure of his love before now, those words cinched it. She was so beautiful, so brave, so faithful.
He reached for her hand again on the pretense of practicing more elements, but really, he just wanted to be close to her, to achieve that total oneness on ice. They skated silently for a few more minutes, recreating a semblance of their last routine.
She landed back on the ice after a flawless axel jump, and spun around to face him, skating backwards, her long, tights-clad legs still in terrific shape. “I could use your help, Conner.”
Her scent drifted into his zone, and her sultry green eyes rendered him powerless to refuse any request she made. “You name it.”
“Don’t you want to know what it is first?” she teased, her dimples flashing.
He shrugged. “Whatever it is, it can’t be that hard.”
Chuckling, she veered towards the opening to the ice and stepped through. He followed. They sat down on the bench and began unlacing their skates. Disappointment that their time alone together was ending slithered into his gut. He’d do anything to make the time last—
“Well, since you’re in such an agreeable mood, how about joining us for church this morning?”
Except that. He might be on speaking terms with God again, but he wasn’t quite ready to attend church. Not when there’d be questions and stares and whispers behind covered mouths. “I…can’t. I’m on shift today.” Might as well try out the explanations with Chaney.
“Really? So you’re actually working somewhere? I thought you were just back in town to get the house ready to sell.”
He took a deep breath. That had been his original intention, but somewhere during the last few days, that goal kept getting pushed farther back in his brain. He’d even taken a break from cleaning out the attic room. “I…I’m not sure yet.”
Her eyes widened with emotion, what he couldn’t tell.
“But I’m working part time at the automotive center while I clean out the house. I figured that would give me time to decide what to do next.”
Her hand lighted on his palm and lifted it from his thigh. Her fingertips glazed the calluses. Tingles from her touch zapped up and down his arm, kindling the spark in his heart for her, the one that time and distance had never extinguished. Her head was bent, studying his palm, and when her gaze strayed to him, he expected to see disappointment lurking there. But that wasn’t the case. No, before her lashes dipped to close over those creamy cheeks, he glimpsed something much better, more promising. Hope?
He sucked in a breath. Was it even possible? Would she consider going out with the likes of him?
When she looked up, her lips curved in a shy smile, her tone soft and inviting. “Well, Conner Weddington. I know you’ll figure it out.”
The only thing he could figure out right now was that her touch and that sweet voice were
“Have you? Really?”
Her lips tightened and her hand dropped away from his face, and God help him, he already missed her gentle, soothing touch. Using his shoulder, she pulled herself upright, away from his arms.
“It’s in the past. We can’t turn back time, as much as we might like to, sometimes. Besides,” she speared him with a determined look, and then glided away, “I have Annabelle now. And I wouldn’t change that for anything.”
He followed her, catching up to match her quiet, uncomplicated rhythm. “What happens if your sister comes back?”
She shrugged and her fingers swiped at her cheek. “I can’t lie. It would hurt, but Annabelle is Hailey’s daughter. God’s only entrusted her into my care for a season. But just like our dreams, our ambitions for the gold, the Annabelle season will eventually pass, too. I’m quite sure of it.”
If he hadn’t been sure of his love before now, those words cinched it. She was so beautiful, so brave, so faithful.
He reached for her hand again on the pretense of practicing more elements, but really, he just wanted to be close to her, to achieve that total oneness on ice. They skated silently for a few more minutes, recreating a semblance of their last routine.
She landed back on the ice after a flawless axel jump, and spun around to face him, skating backwards, her long, tights-clad legs still in terrific shape. “I could use your help, Conner.”
Her scent drifted into his zone, and her sultry green eyes rendered him powerless to refuse any request she made. “You name it.”
“Don’t you want to know what it is first?” she teased, her dimples flashing.
He shrugged. “Whatever it is, it can’t be that hard.”
Chuckling, she veered towards the opening to the ice and stepped through. He followed. They sat down on the bench and began unlacing their skates. Disappointment that their time alone together was ending slithered into his gut. He’d do anything to make the time last—
“Well, since you’re in such an agreeable mood, how about joining us for church this morning?”
Except that. He might be on speaking terms with God again, but he wasn’t quite ready to attend church. Not when there’d be questions and stares and whispers behind covered mouths. “I…can’t. I’m on shift today.” Might as well try out the explanations with Chaney.
“Really? So you’re actually working somewhere? I thought you were just back in town to get the house ready to sell.”
He took a deep breath. That had been his original intention, but somewhere during the last few days, that goal kept getting pushed farther back in his brain. He’d even taken a break from cleaning out the attic room. “I…I’m not sure yet.”
Her eyes widened with emotion, what he couldn’t tell.
“But I’m working part time at the automotive center while I clean out the house. I figured that would give me time to decide what to do next.”
Her hand lighted on his palm and lifted it from his thigh. Her fingertips glazed the calluses. Tingles from her touch zapped up and down his arm, kindling the spark in his heart for her, the one that time and distance had never extinguished. Her head was bent, studying his palm, and when her gaze strayed to him, he expected to see disappointment lurking there. But that wasn’t the case. No, before her lashes dipped to close over those creamy cheeks, he glimpsed something much better, more promising. Hope?
He sucked in a breath. Was it even possible? Would she consider going out with the likes of him?
When she looked up, her lips curved in a shy smile, her tone soft and inviting. “Well, Conner Weddington. I know you’ll figure it out.”
The only thing he could figure out right now was that her touch and that sweet voice were
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